


Bad Luck

by NightSkyWriter



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotionally Constipated Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Gen, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Apologizes, Jaskier | Dandelion Being an Idiot, Jaskier | Dandelion Has Feelings, POV Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, POV Jaskier | Dandelion, Post-Episode: S01E06 Rare Species, Protective Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, jaskier - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22544974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightSkyWriter/pseuds/NightSkyWriter
Summary: Three months after Geralt and Jaskier went their separate ways, Geralt hears of a bounty on a certain Bard. Now he has to find him before it's too late.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 5
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my Beta Reader, Layla! <3

Geralt rode into a new town as the sun was beginning it set. It was like any other town – loud, crowded and Geralt couldn’t wait to head out again.  
  
Instead, he stopped in an inn.  
  
It was mostly quiet. A man was passed out in a corner, a tankard of ale on his table and another man sat in the center of the room, finishing his meal.  
  
Geralt ignored them both.  
  
In the time it took Geralt to pay for his room and meal, the man in the center of the room had finished eating and struck up a conversation with one of the barmaids. The look she gave him was borderline angry. She held his empty plate in one hand while the other was on her hip.  
  
“Last night we were crowded,” she said. “Would’ve been crowded tonight too if you hadn’t forced that bard to leave town.”  
  
Even if Geralt hadn’t been paying attention, he would’ve been now. There were plenty of bards around, but he paid attention when he heard of one nearby. He hadn’t seen Jaskier since they’d had that argument three months ago. Well, not really an argument. Jaskier hadn’t put a word in before he’d decided to leave. Before Geralt had _told _him to leave.  
  
Geralt scrubbed a hand over his face. He really didn’t want to think about that conversation.  
  
Besides, they couldn’t have been talking about Jaskier. Even Geralt’s luck wasn’t that bad.  
  
“I didn’t force anyone to leave town,” the man said, rolling his eyes.  
  
“You put a bounty on his head! And for what? Hurtin’ your pride?”  
  
Maybe being a magnet for trouble was part of being a bard.  
  
“He should’ve known better than to be making assumptions about people like me,” the man said, with the air of someone who thought themselves much more important than they were. He downed the rest of his ale and stood. “Do you really want Witcher lovers in here anyway? Brings out the wrong sort.” Geralt didn’t miss the look the man sent his direction. The man put a few more coins on the table and started for the door.  
  
Geralt’s frown deepened. They were human and he didn’t like getting involved in their affairs. Human disagreements were always messy.  
  
But Geralt was used to people not liking Witchers. That was a given. Even bards with a magnet for trouble didn’t go talking about Witchers.  
  
Geralt had only heard of one that stupid.  
  
Before the man could leave the Tavern, Geralt had a hand on his shoulder. In a single swift move, Geralt had the man facing him.  
  
“What’d he look like?” Geralt asked. Judging by the man’s reaction, Geralt was making what Jaskier called his ‘scary face.’ It’d never bothered the bard, but this man wasn’t of the same stock.  
  
“Who?”  
  
“The bard that you put a bounty on,” Geralt said, though even to him, it sounded more like a growl. He could feel the barmaid watching them.  
  
“I don’t know. Dark hair? He was soft lookin’. Carried a lute and didn’t know when to shut up.”  
  
“He said his name was Jaskier,” the Barmaid called from where she’d gone back to clearing off tables.  
  
Geralt sighed and muttered a curse under his breath. Of course, it was. Why couldn’t it have been anyone else?  
  
“I’m sorry if he was you’re friend,” she continued, “but that bounty has been out all day. With the money that was put out on him…” She didn’t finish but Geralt got the idea.  
  
Geralt shoved the man out of his way with more force than necessary and walked out of the tavern. __

____

Geralt had been riding through every street that led from the town for hours. The sun would be rising soon, and he still hadn’t seen any sign of Jaskier. He supposed it was possible that Jaskier simply escaped the town. He’d done it in the past when people had it out for him. It was possible, but Geralt didn’t believe it. He had a gut feeling the bard was still in town and Geralt listened to intuition.  
  
Even so, as the sun peeked over the trees Geralt was starting to think his intuition was wrong. He was passing by a river and considering going back to the inn when he heard it.  
  
He pulled Roach to a stop. He could barely hear anything over the rush of the water and for a human, the task would have been impossible. But he was a Witcher.  
  
He heard the shout again. It was coming from up ahead.  
  
Geralt urged Roach forward. The closer he got; it was easier to hear.  
  
“—if you drop me you’ll never get your bounty! Not that I want you to collect a bounty if it involves killing me, but this entire water thing is illogical.”  
  
Geralt slipped off Roach and ran the rest of the way.  
  
He found the group, three men and Jaskier, on a bridge. One of the men had a hold of the front of Jaskier’s shirt and had him at an angle over the side of the bridge. His boots were still barely on the solid ground, but it wasn’t doing much.  
  
“Then what would you have us do? How do you want to die, bard?” The man holding his shirt asked.  
  
Geralt took both his swords out of their scabbards.  
  
At the sound, all four men looked up at him. The two standing to the side took out swords of their own.  
  
Jaskier locked eyes with him first.  
  
“Geralt!” He called; relief evident on his face. Then he frowned, confused. “Geralt?”  
  
Geralt ignored him and focused on the bounty hunters. “Let him go.”  
  
The men with swords tightened their grips on the handles. But the man keeping Jaskier from falling, shrugged. “Okay.”  
  
Jaskier’s turned his attention back to the guy, eyes widening. “Wait, that’s not what he means! Don’t—”  
  
He didn’t get to finish, as the man let go and Jaskier fell backwards into the water.

____


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaskier saves himself and Geralt tries something new.

Jaskier swam to the surface. The bridge was already out of sight and the water was moving him even further.  
  
The water was freezing. The current felt like a thousand tiny blades.  
  
Why couldn’t he have been thrown over a bridge during the summer? That would have been so much more convenient.  
  
Jaskier did a quick scan.  
  
Shore was close enough. Jaskier started swimming towards solid ground.  
  
He couldn’t help but think of all the times he’d watched Geralt fight water-monsters. Maybe that’s why Geralt was here. Jaskier couldn’t think of another reason Geralt would be out here.  
  
Jaskier hoped it wasn’t a drowner. He hated the drowners.  
  
After a few minutes of swimming and keeping an eye out for monsters, Jaskier made it to the riverbank.  
  
The water closest to the bank was starting to freeze, even with the speed of the water.  
  
Jaskier fell back, ignoring the feeling of the mud getting in his hair.  
  
Geralt. Here.  
  
How was Jaskier’s luck this bad?  
  
Maybe Geralt wouldn’t come looking for him. Of course, he wouldn’t come looking for Jaskier. Geralt would probably thinking that Jaskier’s bad luck would rub off on him again if he got too close. Jaskier wasn’t in the mood for listening to another Mountain rant.  
  
Jaskier had wandered town to town for months singing songs about a man who despised him. Of course, he had other songs, but none of them drew the crowd like the ones about Geralt. Jaskier used to love the songs. Even he had to admit, in all humbleness, that the tunes were catchy. But now the songs just didn’t bring him the pride they used to.  
  
Like other people he’d met in his life, the Witcher had sent Jaskier away. Jaskier was too much.  
  
The sound of boots shook Jaskier out of his thoughts.  
  
“You’re not dead,” Geralt said, slowing his jog to a walk.  
  
“Oh, don’t sound so disappointed.” Jaskier pushed himself to standing and looked down at his clothes. Ruined. It was a new outfit too. He liked this one.  
  
He looked back at Geralt who still looked confused.  
  
“I learned how to swim as a kid. This wasn’t that big a deal.”  
  
“Then why were you panicking?”  
  
“That,” Jaskier said, “was not panic, Geralt. If they threw me over, they would assume I was dead and leave me alone. No need to let them in on my swimming abilities. It was smart. Admit it.”  
  
“Your clothes are ruined.”  
  
Jaskier sighed. “Yeah. I noticed.” Jaskier took off one of his boots and turned it upside down, pouring the water out. “I see your manners are about as poor as the last time I saw you.”  
  
Geralt hummed.  
  
Jaskier put his boot back on and moved to dumping the other one.  
  
“Humming? Still? I think this conversation calls for a bit more than humming.” Jaskier pulled the next boot back on with more force than necessary. “Have you gone back to Yennefer yet?”  
  
Geralt frowned. “Haven’t seen her since the mountain.”  
  
“Hmm,” Jaskier replied, without sympathy. “Shame. Where is Roach? Or did you tell her to leave for ruining your life too?”  
  
“She is back on the main road.”  
  
“Ah, well at least you kept the horse.”  
  
Jaskier started off towards the road, walking past Geralt.  
  
“Jaskier—”  
  
“I’m going to the next town. Don’t worry, you don’t have to worry about me following you and screwing up your life even more.” He couldn’t keep the anger out of his voice but he also couldn’t get himself to care.  
  
“Jaskier—”  
  
“How far is the next town anyway? I’d rather not freeze completely.”  
  
“Jaskier!”  
  
“What?!” Jaskier spun around facing Geralt.  
  
Geralt seemed like he didn’t know how to get the words out. Usually Jaskier would have waited, but Jaskier didn’t care. Or at least, he hoped if he told himself he didn’t care enough, maybe one day it’d be true.  
  
Jaskier sighed and turned and started walking again.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Geralt said.  
  
Jaskier stopped.  
  
“You aren’t the one who ruined my life. It wasn’t your fault.”  
  
Jaskier looked back. The face Geralt was making made Jaskier think the Witcher didn’t have a lot of experience with apologizing.  
  
“Two decades,” Jaskier said, “two decades and that’s the first time you’ve ever apologized to me.”  
  
Jaskier shook his head.  
  
After the mountain, he made a promise to himself. Many of them actually. He promised himself that if he saw Geralt again, he’d just walk the other direction no matter what the Witcher said. But he also thought of the past few months of being alone. He’d done it before, doesn’t mean he wanted to do it again.  
  
Jaskier was a bard. His entire life was one drama after another. He enjoyed it in theory and song, but not so much in real life.  
  
“I know,” Jaskier said.  
  
“What?”  
  
“I know. You’re a Witcher and no matter how much you try to deny it, in many ways you are still human. You make mistakes just like anyone else. And that isn’t an excuse! What you did was inexcusable. We aren’t good and I’m not happy, but—” Jaskier paused. “I don’t hate you Geralt. I mean, after how you’ve been for the entire time I’ve known you, many people would, but I don’t. But if you ever try something like that again…” Jaskier didn’t know how to finish the sentence but he also figured he’d gotten his point across. “Now come on. I want to see Roach.”  
  
Jaskier turned and started in the opposite direction and after a moment, heard Geralt behind him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! <3  
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated!  
> The next chapter should be longer 💕


End file.
